to pri'aal, first contact chapter 48

(albarti's tailory and blacksmithing, fifteen minutes later)- "al, i'm on the roof of the shop, ship's cloaked and ready to go. any ETA on a shuttle craft of any kind?" i asked into my headset, growing worried when albarti didn't immediately reply, like he always did when i contacted him. but, albarti's voice finally came through the earpiece, and i let go a sigh of relief. "yes, as a matter of fact i do. i had mark and ceasar....... 'acquire' it from the C.D.F. when you left, and they'll be back with it shortly. i hope you know what you're doing kyle, we're painting a massive target on our backs with this one. if we make one wrong move, the venomian and cornerian militaries will be all over us." albarti replied, but i remained resolute, taking albarti's comment about us basically giving corneria the massive piss off in stride. "don't worry, we've got this. pri'aal's the most logical spot to begin building our army, because it's remote, off the grid, and it's the last place either military would think to look for us. and once we've established a base camp there, we'll head for kew. i've been picking up on some strange energy signatures from out that way over the past few months, and i can't ignore it any longer. it pulls me in like a moth to a flame, and besides which way, if the energy sigs are indeed anthros, we could use their help. but if they aren't......pyrohkt help us all." i replied, popping the canopy to the devil's claw and hopping to the ground, before using the bracer on my forearm to cloak the bird before anyone saw it. *off one rock, and onto another. funny how life can just throw shit in your face like that.* i thought grimly, while walking to the edge of the roof of albarti's shop, and dangling my legs over, contemplating on my journey so far. i started out a seventeen year old, barely out of high school from london, to a mercenary canine half-breed seeking answers, to a wanted man going home again. "seems so far your life has been turned three different kinds of upside down in the past eight months man." oh lord, not HIM again. "don't you have other people to bug besides me?" i replied, turning my head to stare krom down, who shrugged it off. "nobody on this rock warrants my interest. well, besides you." krom replied with a smirk, sitting down beside me, dangling his legs over the ledge of albarti's shop as well. "oh, i'm soo touched. how the hell did you make it off the great fox, anyhow? i thought you were on your knees being held at gunpoint last i saw you." i replied with the raise of an eyebrow, but krom didn't elaborate. "ah ah ah, a good magician never reveals his secrets. all you need to worry about, is getting your ass to pri'aal. chop chop daniel-san!" krom replied with a wicked grin, before vanishing into thin air, as if he were a mist being. "i swear to god, my life so far has been one huge fraggin' mushroom trip." i replied with a shake of my head, before pushing off the ledge of albarti's shop, and landing in front of the door without the need for so much as even a tuck and roll. and unabated, i entered albarti's shop, where he'd gathered what was to be our crew in the main room. "alright everybody, settle down! i know you are all still tired, but we have pressing matters to attend to. as of today, the cornerian considers kyle and krystal wanted criminals who have committed crimes against the people, and they'll use anyone of you to get to them! and, by association, we're all criminals as well. so once mark and ceasar return with the shuttle we 'borrowed' from the C.D.F., we'll board it, and make a course for pri'aal. now, any questions?" albarti told the gathered crowd, that seemed to almost sigh in sadness. but they remained silent instead, and found a seat wherever they could in the foyer of albarti's shop, heads down and spirits at their lowest. but i knew this wouldn't be their lowest point. no, this would be the driving action that lifted their spirits, and drove them to knock down the C.D.F. and the venomians all in one fell swoop. we would be the first of our kind, free from templar influence and free from starfox and their over-arrogant leader. now THAT sounded good. "hmm? oh, good, good. i'll be sure to tell them mark, thank you. alright everyone, i just got word that mark and ceasar have landed our transportation at corneria city spaceport, and will be holding down the fort until we arrive. if there were a better time to leave, it would be now." albarti replied, shaking me out of my reverie, and making me flick my gaze up to meet his. "the streets are going to be crowded with C.D.F. personnel. i hope you have something in your motor pool to transport them without notice." i replied with crossed arms, but albarti wasn't fazed. in fact, he smirked at me. "like an 'acquired' C.D.F. APC?" albarti asked arrogantly, and smirking as well at his words, i gave him a thumbs up. "perfetto. alright people, we mobilize now! grab your belongings, and follow albarti. i'll keep the skies clear, and meet up with you guys when you're airbourne." i called confidently to the audience in front of me, before making for the door. but i didn't get to even leave the shop, when a hail of gunfire from the opposite end of the street rained down onto the shop's windows, bouncing off them like they were rubber balls. watching the soldiers in C.D.F. gear across the street run away soon after however, i put two and two together, and figured that if general pepper had put two and two together, and figured out that albarti was helping us, it would be even harder for us to escape. thank the gods we were leaving now. but that didn't quench my anger and growing hatred for the C.D.F., nay, instead it seated a fire deeper in my gut, and i had to fight to keep from bursting out of the shop, and ripping those soldiers limb from limb. no, they could wait. right now i had bigger fish to fry, and i wouldn't get anywhere senselessly killing people anyway.

(corneria city spaceport, five minutes later)- "alright krys, ready to kick ass?" i asked my trusty co-pilot, who gave me a thumbs up and a smirk. "just tell me who to mark." she replies simply, and nodding to her, i returned my gaze to the spaceport in front of us, where albarti and the others were boarding the shuttle ceasar and mark stole from kindly general pepper. but the peace was shattered when our alert systems screamed at us. "kyle, we've got company!" krystal panicked, and turning my eyes back and forth, i finally found what had set our early warning systems off, and i turned my fighter to retaliate. but the craft didn't bother to fire, instead streaking past us at speeds comparable to the devil's claw. "what the hell was that?" krystal asked me, but i was too shocked to speak. there was only one mercenary crew that was well enough funded to afford a craft that could reach speeds as fast as the devil's claw, and they would be suicidal to come here, after what they did to the C.D.F. so long ago. "ceasar, get that thing in the air, now. we've got company, and it's not good company." i ordered once i regained my composure, gripping the flight sticks of my fighter harder out of stress. "kyle, you're starting to worry me. what just buzzed us?" krystal asked again, and turning to her this time, i sighed. "somebody we really, REALLY don't want to stick around to fight." i replied simply, returning to my face-forward position. i could feel that krystal had been confused at my cryptic words, but i couldn't bare to tell her what that craft was. *i hope winchester is expecting guests.* i thought to myself, and without another second delayed, i turned the devil's claw toward the sky, and waited for albarti's signal. "alright kyle, everyone's in and secure. lead the way." albarti called into the mic, and nodding to myself, i kicked the thrusters into horizontal mode, and floored it. the fighter beneath my feet lurched forward at mach 2 in an instant, and i grinned at being back in the swing of things again. *new lease on life, new army, and new mission. life is good.* i thought to myself, while typing in pri'aal's planetary co-ordinates into the flight computer. sitting back in my seat after engaging the autopilot, i folded my arms behind my head, and thought back on the events that led up to this moment. i was inducted into a group of famous intergalactic mercenaries just a year ago, i became a fire-packing super-soldier of a demi-god three weeks after that, dealt with a super-villain that i'd thought only existed in a comic book on multiple occasions, and gods know how many other ordeals i had to sift through before we reached this place in time. but then i thought of something. through ALL of that, when i was at both my best and my worst, krystal stuck by me regardless. she had even helped me fight on a handful of occasions, and i hadn't even given her so much as a thank you. how could i have been so blind? "it's been a hell of a ride, hasn't it?" krystal commented idly, shaking me out of my thoughts, and making me crane my head back to see her watching the stars go by while we drifted through space. wait, we were in space already? the ships had already punched through corneria's atmosphere? damn i'd lost track of time. but nonetheless, i responded to krystal's question thoughtfully. "yeah, it has been one hell of a ride. and through all of it, slade, krymson, leaving the team that took you in, you stuck by me. and i never so much as gave you a 'thank you' for your efforts." i replied with a tone of self-disappointment, preparing myself for the scornful remarks that would most likely come when krystal realised what i'd said was true. but they never came, and looking up at my co-pilot, i had seen that krystal was actually smiling instead of scowling, but not once did her gaze turn away from the blackness of space. "that's okay, kyle. just being able to be close to you is thanks enough. well, that and being able to pounce and promptly mount you whenever i can. and speaking of that, we're setting up some ground rules in way of privacy when we get to pri'aal. i swear we never get to have time to ourselves anymore, and it's just about driving me insane." krystal replied with an air of seriousness, but i chuckled regardless. "don't worry krys, we'll get private time soon enough. we just need to make sure the others can fend for themselves without us holding their hands all the time." i replied, still chuckling when the thought came up. "besides which way, i'm pretty sure mom and pop will keep them from invading our privacy." i mentioned quickly after, smirking when krystal raised an eyebrow. "your parents? but i thought they were on earth." krystal replied, but my smirk melted into a smile, and i shook my head. "well then, i'll just have to introduce you to my true parents then. because while alexander and mary were excellent foster parents, they weren't my real parents. no. but i will say this much, you'll be rendered speechless when you meet them. especially mum." i replied, turning away before krystal could inquire more about my real parents. after all, i wanted her to be surprised, and the surprise would be ruined if i told her everything. no, cryptic was the best way to play it for now. "attention, craft reaching pri'aal planetary orbit in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. planetary orbit reached." the nav computer stated plainly, and looking up from the screen, i nearly cried.

(inspirational music- )

there it was, my homeworld. the place i was born, and the place i was coming home to. pri'aal. "i'm home." i whispered, a lone tear streaking down my cheek.


AN- and that's the end of this chapter! ain't i a stinker? anyway, leave a comment below what you think about this chapter, and i'll see you guys around. until next time.